


Meeting the Famethyst

by Enlightened_Introvert



Series: Earthlings [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Flashbacks, Fluff, headcanons?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-18
Updated: 2017-03-19
Packaged: 2018-09-25 10:55:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9816749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enlightened_Introvert/pseuds/Enlightened_Introvert
Summary: Amethyst has finally found her family. This is what happened while the others were trying to break Greg out of the human zoo.





	1. Chapter 1

Amethyst felt a mixture of complicated emotions coil in the pit of her stomach as the team filed past Holly Blue Agate into Pink Diamond's human zoo. On one hand, she was excited to see gems from Earth, from her very own kindergarten, sisters! But on the other hand, they were and have always been Homeworld soldiers, so why would they care about this runty, dumb gem from Earth who runs around with a bunch of traitors, regardless of their common origins. She did appreciate their sense of humor, though; if they weren't there on serious business, then she might have actually laughed at the gag. Holly Blue made the Amethyst guards just as nervous as she made her, however, so maybe they wouldn't rat her out if they somehow figured her out. She followed after the others, feeling both relieved and regretful at the prospect of leaving these pieces of her past behind.

Suddenly, Holly Blue stopped her, eyeing Amethyst sternly. “Amethysts are to stay and guard the door."

If Amethyst had a heart, it would have stopped. “Uhhh, but…”

“The door,” she replied tersely, leaving her behind in the docking bay.

The others shot one last worried glance at her as the doors sealed behind them. She shifted her gaze towards the other Amethysts, trying—and failing—to appear less worried than she was. Her nerves were shot, and she wasn't sure what to feel now. _Ugh, is this how Pearl feels on a regular basis?_ She thought tiredly, trying not to make eye-contact with the other gems. 

The guards dropped their diamond salutes with matching groans. The left-shoulder Amethyst leaned against the door lazily, assuming a bored expression, while the right-shoulder Amethyst sat on the top step, rubbing the ankle that Holly kicked ruefully. 

“So, where ya from?” Left asked, crossing her arms.

“Uh, you know, a…a place,” Amethyst replied lamely, cursing herself.

“Riiiiight,” Left drawled, “and that place would be…?”

Amethyst glanced down at Right, who was watching them interestedly, face resting in her hands. Then, narrowing her eyes, she said, "Ya know, I've never seen an Amethyst that works for WHITE Diamond."

"Yeah, you're right," Left said, mockingly. Then, with a glare, she said, "I'm not gonna ask again. Where are you from?"

“Um…” At that moment, Amethyst made an executive decision. There was no way she’d be able to hold this up, and Sapphire had said their plan was doomed to fail, anyway, so why not go all out. With a sigh, she replied, “I’m from…Earth. I’m from Earth, like you.” She let go of the form, sinking back to her normal height. “I’ve been there this whole time and I've, uh, never met another Amethyst before.”

She wasn’t sure how she was expecting them to react, but the silence that descended made her antsy. They stared at her, their expressions unreadable. All she could do was hope that they weren’t ultra-loyal to Homeworld, like Jasper. Right stood and approached Amethyst, crouching in front of her and giving her a scrutinizing glance.

“Hmmm…you mean to tell me you’re an unregistered soldier AND you’ve been on Earth for thousands of years, without the guidance of the Diamonds?”

“I’ll bet those other gems are traitors,” Left pipped in, looking away. “Crystal Gems, even.”

”How?! I-I mean…please don’t tell Holly! We just need to rescue a human that was brought here, nothing more.”

“You know what Homeworld does to traitors, right?” Right continued, glaring menacingly at her.

“Um, no…”

“Well,” she shifted her weight, scrunching her face, “I’ll show ya what WE do to traitors!”

Before Amethyst had a chance to react, Right sprang at her, effectively knocking the wind out of her. They rolled across the floor together spin-dash style, before banging painfully into the door, as Left jumped out of the way of the havoc. Amethyst was pinned under Right, panic seizing her as she struggled futilely against Right's iron grip, trying to get free. 

Finally, in the second between her struggling, she heard laughing. She felt Right convulsing against her, her grip loosening considerably. Glancing back, she saw that Left had actually keeled over, absolutely howling with laughter and clutching her abdomen. She felt herself being lifted off the ground, as Right tightened her grip around Amethyst once more, this time as a hug.

“Aw I know, we’re the worst!” She cried, squeezing once, before letting her down, “I’m sorry! I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity!”

Amethyst shook her head in disbelief, relief flooding through her as her limbs continued to shake from the adrenaline rush that occurred just a second before. 

Left composed herself enough to crawl over to the two, wrapping her arms around Amethyst’s shoulders affectionately. “I can’t believe it! We didn’t think that we’d ever see you, not in a million years!”

“Me neither,” Amethyst laughed, feeling bewildered and dumb and happy all at the same time.

“So, you wanna tell us how you got tangled up with the Crystal Gems?” Right said, eyeing her slyly.

“Not much to tell,” Amethyst replied as nonchalantly as she could muster, “I came out some time after the war, and I was alone in the kindergarten for a while. Then, the Crystal Gems came through and…took me in, I guess.”

“I thought they had been wiped out,” Right said soberly, glancing at the door cautiously.

“Well they were, I guess, I don't know, except…you know,” she wasn’t sure how safe it would be to say Rose’s name out loud. Luckily, the others seemed to understand as they both nodded solemnly.

“Wait! So, that Pearl...” Right said, mystified.

“Is not just A total badass with a sword, but THE total badass? Yup!” Amethyst felt unusually proud of Pearl, happy to sing her praises, despite how much of a pain she could be. The look of wonder on Right's face was priceless.

“Oh! Duh. The Ruby and Sapphire make the fusion,” Left added, slapping her forehead.

“Mhmm, you got it!"

“But what about…Rose?”

“Long story,” Amethyst said, not wanting to touch that subject with a ten-foot pole, “Obviously, she isn’t here.” She felt like she was lying, and that made her stomach turn a bit, but it wasn’t far from the truth. Of course, that thought just made her sad. “Um, so, is that cool? That I’m a Crystal Gem, I mean?"

Left sat back on her heels, glaring at the ground. “Homeworld never had our best intentions at heart. After the war, they treated Earth gems like dirt, like we were all traitors or at least less capable just because of where we came from, and for a while, we believed it. If you told us that 5,000 years ago, we might have turned you in. Maybe! But now…” She shrugged, “what does it matter, now? The Crystal Gems may have been the enemy all that time ago, but Homeworld has been failing us ever since."


	2. Chapter 2

*** Over 5,500 years ago***

A storm is brewing outside the Prime Kindergarten, and every gem within its confines can sense it.

Half of the products of this kindergarten are gone, defected to the likes of the Crystal Gems, and the loyal few that are left are dwarfed even by Rose Quartz’s small army, both in numbers and physical proportions. This tactic of fusing with different types of gems is dangerous and unpredictable, and is sure to be the downfall of the remaining troops, if they do not evacuate the kindergarten immediately, gaining a chance to plan and regroup. The Crystal Gem’s acquirement of Prime would be a crushing blow to Homeworld, but at least the soldiers will not fall prey to Rose Quartz and her persuasions to join her cause.

“Retreat!” The word blares through the Wailing Stone in the familiar voice of Pink Diamond, reverberating through Facet 5. The Amethyst soldiers, already tense with sense of impending doom, are completely outraged by the word.

“We can’t just leave!” Cries one, leaping from her hole in the cliff side. “8XM hasn’t emerged yet!” Several others agree, glancing earnestly at the dormant spot on the cliff, willing their sister to hurry up. 

“Orders are orders!” Their commanding officer barks, gesturing towards the Wailing Store, “and our orders are to retreat!”

Her face softens as she looks into the devastated faces of her troops, understanding the feeling of having to leave someone behind, especially a young gem that doesn’t stand a chance. She had seen it far too often. Protecting their own and expressing loyalty towards those to whom you have the closest bonds have been defining characteristics of all quartz for as long as the gem type had existed, and no amount of programming can expel these feelings. In the distance, the sound of many gems moving at once can be heard, mere miles away.

“I’m sorry, but we can’t stay here any longer. The integrity of Homeworld’s army cannot be put at stake for the sake of one gem that may not ever emerge. We must retreat!”

Amethyst 8XL gazes at the empty spot in the wall where her sister, the gem below her, should have emerged three years ago. With a heavy heart, she looks away, guilt tearing through her form. All the Amethysts in the facet have the same feeling, as if they are leaving their baby sister out for the wolves to feast on, but but none are willing to disobey orders, certainly not ones from the very gem that order their creation.

8XL feels a hand grasp her shoulder. “Hey, look on the bright side,” 8XK, the Amethyst who emerged above her says, “Beta is almost completed, and it’s over a thousand miles away from here, safe from the bulk of the enemy for now. If anything can turn the tide, it’s the Beta kindergarten. Then, _when_ we defeat the Crystal Gems, we can come back for her! At this point, I don’t think she’ll emerge any time soon.” She gives an unconvincing grin, which 8XL returns, hoping that her sister is correct.

The gems leave Facet 5 and the Prime Kindergarten behind for good. Hours later, the Crystal Gems occupy the Prime Kindergarten, one of Homeworld’s final strongholds, the storm descending full force around the sleeping soldier.

 

***Hundreds of years later***

Thunder rumbles over Facet 5 as the storm rolls in, the wind picking up as lightning splinters across the dark sky.

One lone gem sits curled up in the hole above the one that, decades before, she herself had burst from, erring on the side of caution. Storms like these are few and far between, and the Kindergarten always floods. She rubs her face against the wall, taking comfort in its familiar surface, as the rain began to patter outside, quickly picking up in intensity.

She lets her long hair drape around her, as she takes in the companions around her: several interesting stones she had collected from around the kindergarten, a lizard that she befriended a couple weeks ago, and the whip she manifested from her gem just a moment ago. With a sigh, she flops onto the floor of the spacious hole, pulling her few friends close as the rain turns to a torrent and thunder crashes, followed by dramatic bursts of lightning. Occasionally, in storms like this, it would strike one of the weird alien junk that clung to the way, lighting up its weird, gooey insides momentarily, and sometimes they would begin to spin for a second, before falling silent once more.

“Don’t worry,” she said quietly to her companions, “I used to be scared of thunderstorms, too. But, they can’t hurt you up here.”

Through the sheet of rain, she sees row upon endless row of matching exit holes lining the opposite wall. For a while, she had tried to count all of the holes in the kindergarten by piling loose stones together, one for every hole she saw, but she gave up after getting lost somewhere in the vast reaches of it. Now that she knows the layout of the place like the back of her hand, the thought of how many holes were in her home made her feel so small and insignificant. Alone.

Amethyst burrows deeper into her hair, loneliness washing over her. She would venture out of the kindergarten and look for others like her, but the vastness of the world beyond it terrifies her. So, for now, she sits and watches the rain, with her small, useless companions, waiting for something new to happen.

Little did she know, the storm that left her without a family would be the one to adopt her into theirs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just to show how much the Amethysts value family, which may or may not be relevant to the story later on. I'm just making it up as I go, so I'm not sure where I'm going with this. I may do a couple flashback things for the Beta kindergartners when it becomes relevant.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters, one day! Oh, what an honor! But seriously, I'm enjoying this so much. I have a project where I write a little bit every day, so expect updates every other day or so. Thanks!

***Present day***

“Whatever!” Right cried, clearly uncomfortable with the negative turn in subject, “come on, 8XL’ll wanna meet you!” Hopping over Amethyst, she swiped in a code on the door, allowing it to slide open. Left grinned down at Amethyst before following after her comrade.

“But, what about the door?!” Amethyst called, sprinting to keep up.

“What Holly doesn’t know won’t shatter her,” Right replied over her shoulder, waving her hand dismissively, “she’s too busy kissing up to your Sapphire friend.”

“How mad do you think she’d be if she figured out that they’re traitors?” Amethyst asked.

“Eh…she’d be furious.”

“But she would probably blame us!” They both laughed.

“Don’t worry, I think they’re fine.” Left patted her head soothingly. “Holly is the most oblivious gem in the universe.”

They followed the path that the others would have taken, before turning off into one of smaller corridors. The older Amethysts led the way, guiding Amethyst through through a maze of passageways, moving deeper and deeper into the compound.

“Where are we going?” Amethyst finally asked.

 “The observation room,” Right explained, “8XL is stationed here right now, I’m pretty sure. This is where we make sure the humans don’t kill each other or anything.”

“Sooo, all you do is watch them?” Amethyst wasn’t sure if that would be entertaining or boring. At the thought of doing it for thousands of years, she figured it would be the latter.

“Pretty much. we’ve never had to actually go inside the zoo; sometimes we use little transport drones to remove the ones that get injured and when they have babies, but we have to be discrete so the other humans don’t notice. We gotta send them to the medical bay on the other side of the facility to be treated. They’re put to sleep and worked on before being sent back to the zoo, and no one remembers being outside of it.”

“We also have to remove the ones that die, but that doesn’t happen very often.” Amethyst didn’t want to know what they did with the dead ones.

“There’s some Blue Calcites that do everything else. They plan the humans’ entire lives, really. They do a full check-up and sterilization when the human arrives, manufacture the food they eat using all the nutrients they need, run the medical bay, and tell the humans what to do and when. The humans call them ‘Little Voice,’” Left made air quotes around the words, laughing at the silliness of it.

“We aren’t allowed to go to the Calcites’ side of the station,” Right pouted, “AND they get to leave after a hundred years and be switched out with someone else. I doubt they even know we exist. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one of them in person, before.”

“Why not?” Amethyst thought it was odd to spend literal millennia working with gems you haven’t even met.

“Holly doesn’t want us to scare them away, I guess,” Right sighed. “If Blue Diamond didn’t have to remember to send gems here every century, she’d forget about us all together, and Holly Blue doesn’t want to spend eternity keeping us in line.”

Finally, they turned into a wider hallway that ended at another large door, similar to the one that they had been guarding, but less elaborate. Cautiously, Left backtracked, looking down another corridor adjacent to the one that they had entered from, before listening at the door.

“Okay, doesn’t seem like Holly Blue is here,” Left stated, satisfied. “This is one of the places she would take a visitor, but she’s not here now.”

Left opened the door, and Amethyst was excited to see fifteen other Amethysts, all in various states of boredom. The trio entered into a huge room that stretched around half of the zoo, with one giant window that spread all the way across the opposite wall. There were modules set at intervals around the room, which were paired with human-sized drones that stood docked outside the window, waiting for instructions.

With about as much subtlety as Amethyst would expect from someone like her, Left called out loudly, “8XL!”

All the dozing gems jumped at the sudden noise, letting out noises of protest. One gem turned her head, glaring at Left in irritation. Her gaze shifted downward, her lavender eyes looking right into Amethyst’s, and her expression turned to confusion as she approached the group. The other gems were beginning to take notice of the newcomer, as well, all wondering what was going on.

Left stood taller, assuming a more formal stance that mimicked Holly Blue’s. “Amethyst, Facet-5 Cut-8XL, meet Amethyst, Facet-5 Cut-8XM,” she intoned, sweeping her hand outward and bowing ridiculously.

 Amethyst mouthed the title to herself, feeling a previously unnoticed weight being lifted off her shoulders. Her real, full name! And right there in front of her was the gem that had grown closest to her, whose exit hole had been Amethyst’s second home. She felt suddenly, uncharacteristically shy, not knowing how to respond.

“Wha-? Are you kidding?” 8XL replied, looking sharply at the other gems.

“You think we would joke about this? Look at her! She emerged after the war, it seems, and she’s been on Earth ever since. We can fill you in on the details later.”

8XL shook her head, looking at her smaller sister in amazement. “It’s really you.”

“Ye-ap, last time I checked,” Amethyst joked weakly, feeling positively dizzy with happiness.

This elicited another hug, and Amethyst added it to her running tally. The physical affection didn’t bother her so much when she was the one giving it, but receiving it was a completely different matter. This was shaping up to be the most embarrassing and amazing day of her life. The other Amethysts gravitated toward the group, all clamoring to meet their long-lost sister. Amethyst recounted all that she could, as the other gems filled in the rest.


	4. Chapter 4

After a while, the conversation began to settle down. The Amethysts reluctantly went back to work, monitoring the humans below. 8XL, who was named the group leader for this particular shift, was speaking to a slim, pale blue gem with an asymmetrical bob on a holographic screen, giving a mandatory (and pointless) hourly progress report. Despite the interruption, Amethyst had to admit that the Calcite had a nice, soothing voice, and she didn’t look like she could murder someone at any moment, unlike every other Homeworld gem she had met thus far. Just as the screen dissipated, they could hear the heavy clomp of Holly’s heels before they heard her voice.

“…observation room, where you can view the humans within the habitat,” Holly’s voice echoed down the hallway.

“You need to go, now!” 8XL pushed Amethyst and her two companions towards the door.

Holly was a mere ten feet away, with her captive audience in tow, not paying attention. With a final shove, the three gems toppled over each other in the adjoining hallway, as 8XL positioned herself in front of them, throwing up a diamond salute. Holly paused mid-sentence, looking disdainfully at the soldier.

“What are you doing?” She questioned irritably.

“I heard that there were visitors, and I figured I’d greet them properly,” 8XL lied smoothly.

“Hmmm…” Holly narrowed her eyes, obviously looking for something about the situation to criticize. “Very well,” she finally said, waving her hand and looking away. Turning back, she suddenly pointed an accusing finger. “Wait, you aren’t supposed to be down here at this hour!"

“You made a rule saying that we must wait to be dismissed,” she replied, a touch of irritation crossing her face, “I’ve been here a whole rotation longer than assigned.”

“You are dismissed," she said through gritted teeth, glaring darkly at the gem who dared to correct her.

8XL, still holding her arms in the diamond formation, bowed dramatically. “I’m most grateful, Holly Blue Agate, thank you,” she said graciously, as the others stifled their laughter. Holly groaned angrily, but didn’t retaliate.

The Amethysts made their way down the hall, putting a safe distance between themselves and Holly before doubling over in a fit of giggles.

“So, where to next?” Amethyst asked excitedly between giggles.

“Take her to the barracks! I think there’s a lot of gems there right now,” Left said. She crouched down in front of Amethyst, clapping her on the shoulder, “we have to head back to our post before Holly finds us. See ya when you leave, 8XL!”

“Or when you get caught!” Right called good-naturedly.

 

* * *

 

 

After another journey through a labyrinth of hallways, they made it to the barracks. Amethyst trotted beside her sister as 8XL related her library of experiences at the zoo, most of them revolving around something Holly did. As they came to a halt, Amethyst could hear muffled laughter, shouts, and boots scuffing against the ground.

 _Mah people_ , Amethyst thought fondly, as she entered behind 8XL.

“Here we are!” 8XL proclaimed, gesturing around the large space. It was like a tiny, efficiently-packed kindergarten, with a huge skylight that commandeered the entire ceiling. Here was the most gems Amethyst had ever seen in one place, even including corrupted gems. There had to of been at least fifty of them, lounging in person-shaped cubbies, roughhousing, or sitting inconveniently in the middle of the floor. A few of them waved at Amethyst calling her by name.

“Huh, looks like word gets around,” Amethyst mused, glad she didn’t have to share her life story again.

“Aw, how cute!” 8XL cried, looking up at a cubby in the third level.

Amethyst followed her gaze. She saw what was obviously a Jasper, judging by the orange and the stripes, but her body was narrower than Beefy Jasper’s bicep. She was curled up inside the hole, cuddled up to a reddish gem that Amethyst could barely see from her perspective, at just hip level of everyone else. It looked like they were both sleeping.

“Hey, Skinny,” 8XL said, getting closer to the hole, “did you know that you’re adorable?”

Skinny flicked her off, muttering a profanity.

8XL glanced over her shoulder, winking at Amethsyt. "She hates it when I interrupt her beauty sleep."

"Oh shut up," Skinny replied in a smooth, un-Jaspery voice. The gem looked down at Amethyst curiously, her bright yellow eyes uncomfortably familiar. However, there was nothing tense about her expression, much less the hellbent death-glare of revenge that Amethyst had become acquainted with. As the other gem began to stir beside her, 8XL let out another round of "aw!"s. Skinny narrowed her eyes irritably, looking significantly more Jasper-like.

“You guys have to meet our little sister, 8XM!”

Suddenly, the other gem vaulted over Skinny's head, throwing herself the 15 feet to the ground. She was only a few inches taller than Amethyst, and evidently durable and she splatted against the floor, springing up and running towards her.

"Ahhh! Finally, another gem!" She all but screamed, shaking Amethyst's arm excitedly. "I'm not the shortest!"

“Don’t rip her arm off, Carnelian,” Skinny said with a bemused grin, resting her elbows on her knees. Carnelian contented herself by bouncing up and down in front of Amethyst, before running off into the group.

“Dude, this is crazy! I guess I shoulda figured that gems from the Beta kindergarten would be here, too. How many are there?”

“Some,” Skinny replied glaring at the ground.

“Some?” Amethyst looked around at the sparse amount of Jaspers in the room.

“We’re all that’s left. None of us like to talk about it."

"Oh, sorry, I didn't know," Amethyst replied, worried that she had upset her.

"That's fine," Skinny assured, smiling sadly. "A lot of those gems came out so messed up, they had to be shattered immediately, and most of the rest were left behind when we retreated. There's 15 of us in all." Her expression softened, taking on that same bemused expression she liked to make, "nothing good in being sad about it, though. It's nice to meet you, 8XM."

Skinny hopped out of the hole—the subject dropped—and held out her hand, which Amethyst grasped firmly. She couldn't help but wonder. The Prime Kindergarten had to of made thousands of gems, yet there was no way there was more than a hundred on this base. Had THAT many gems been left behind, or was it more complicated than that? She didn’t want to ask, for fear of ruining the pleasant mood, so she stored her questions away to worry about later. 


	5. Chapter 5

***5,250 years ago***

The storm that had raged so violently calms to a drizzle, as the Crystal Gems recede from the Beta Kindergarten.

Red and orange gems gather in one section of the kindergarten, apprehensive as a chilled wind sweeps past them, the fore bringer of the storm to come. Skinny shivers, perched on an injector that hung crookedly on one side of their portion of Beta, with her ever-present companion, Carnelian, warming her side. They keep careful watch, ready to strike at the first sign of trouble.

“Jasper! You! Is this everyone?” Fire Agate, the assigned manager for their regimen, runs in among the other gems, calling up to Skinny. It had been difficult addressing the Beta gems, with the haphazard placement of injectors, and Fire refuses to use nicknames.

“Looks like it!” She calls back.

"Okay!" Fire replies; a concerned look passes across her face as she gazes at the dismally small gathering of soldiers. "You two get down here!”

She then makes her way to the opposite cliff, asking about the status of the enemy. Muscles--Skinny's closest sister and by far the most imposing of the group--seems to give a satisfactory report, and they all descend and join the others.

The Beta quartz—or, rather, the gems that are left—are in rough shape. Slippery red mud coats everything and everyone, as if the group could look any more bleak. There a great cacophony of anxious shouts, as soldiers call for missing sisters and groan from newly received injuries. Each battle brought more problems, and their numbers shrank ever smaller, but that never stopped them before, and even in this state, they are prepared to fight again. Skinny feels an overwhelming sense of pride for the failure that is her home, and her loser sisters; despite the odds, they still managed to keep going.

As Fire begins to address the gems with the usual morale-speech, Skinny feels a large hand pat her head.

“What’s with the face, Skinny?”

She looks up at her mountain of a sister. "I'm just thinking about stuff. I mean, the bulk of Rose Quartz's army has been attacking us for weeks, and Homeworld still hasn't sent reinforcements! We're tough, but..." she hesitates, "is it really worth it?"

Jasper grabs her narrow shoulders, squeezing her arms. Although Skinny knows she would never hurt her, she recoils in fear. “You _can’t_ say stuff like that,” she says gruffly, shaking her once for emphasis, “you _can’t_ think that way.”

Seeing the fear in Skinny’s face, her expression softens behind the visor on her helmet, and she pulls Skinny into a hug. “You know that Jas-“

“Jaspers never give up, I know, Muscles,” Skinny finishes, resting her cheek on her shoulder, “ _I’m_ not giving up without a fight.”

Muscles—Jasper—ruffles Skinny’s hair playfully, the tension gone. “That’s the spirit!” Skinny knocks Muscles helmet down over her eyes in retaliation, which sets them both laughing, quiet enough so Fire Agate couldn’t hear. Carnelian, feeling left out, climbs onto Jasper's shoulders, putting the heavy helmet on her own head.

The calm before the storm.

 

***later***

The Crystal Gems had called a truce for this battle, and they were gone before the Beta forces could retaliate. Guards are posted at every entrance, but there is no sign of the enemy. The Crystal Gems were always good on their word.

The group of soldiers from facet nine huddle close together, talking softly as several Agates discuss battle plans a distance away. Under cover of darkness, the gems take this precious moment to relax, a luxury they never expected, born fighting, but something they all desperately need.

“Uhhh,” moans a pale red-orange Carnelian, clutching the gem on the side of her head, “my head. Can someone check my gem?”

“I’ll do it!” A shorter Jasper volunteers, scooting closer. “Hmmm, looks like it’s just a scratch. That feeling will go away soon, but be more careful.”

“yeah, yeah.”

“As if that’s an option, right?”

“We wouldn’t have to be so careful if we weren’t so breakable.”

“Speak for yourself! I’d like to see one of those traitors try to break me!”

“No, you wouldn’t!”

“Shut up, the Agates have ears, ya know.”

“You know who couldn’t be shattered? Muscles, over here.”

"Nah, we're all brittle 'cause this kindergarten sucks. Her gem would shatter just as easily as ours."

"But they'd have a hell of a time trying!"

Skinny affectionately nudges jasper, who is lost in thought.  _Or trying to listen in on the Agates'  conversation,_ Skinny thinks, amused. "Hey, they're talking shit about you," she whispers to Jasper.

"And what's that?"  Jasper mutters, not entirely listening.

"They said your gem is brittle," Skinny says, pinching Jasper's arm.

Jasper laughs heartily at this. Skinny always felt more relaxed when Jasper was at ease. The sight of Carnelian, who had managed to keep Jasper's helmet on her head without it dissipating, sets her laughing even more. In a tense time like this, when another battle can strike at any moment, it's nice to be able to laugh a little and relax. Of course, all good things come to an end.

"Crystal Gems!" Cries a lookout, pointing to the southeast.

"Looks like that truce is over."

"Time to kick some ass!"

"Careful of your gem, though!"

"Whatever."

"Alright, Runt," Jasper laughs, pulling the helmet off of Carnelian's head, "how about you stick to your own weapon."

Carnelian sticks out her tongue. " _I_ don't need one!"  Her hair bursts into flames, and she rolls into a spindash, spinning circles around her companions.

"Save it for the battlefield, twerp," Skinny says, grinning as she spawns a mace.

"Let's do this!"

The storm continues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me tell you, I love the Beta sisters. I love talking about them, I love writing about them. I love Jasper. I love writing happy Jasper. I also love banter. Thank you!


	6. Chapter 6

***Present day***

"So, what're they like?" A Jasper with a vertical stripe across her mouth asked hesitantly. It didn't quite sound apprehensive, just curiosity erring on caution. Quite of few of the gems seemed wary of the newcomer who claimed to be cavorting with the Crystal Gems themselves, but this one was the first to speak up.

"The Crystal Gems? Oh, um, I've never had to describe them before," she rubbed her neck nervously. "Obviously, we ain't an army. Garnet and Pearl and...Rose...after the war, they were the only ones left, except me of course, but I was still in the ground." A few of the Amethysts smiled at this. "I mean, they woulda fought Homeworld gems if they showed up to fight again, but they--we-- are just trying to keep the humans and the Earth safe, ya know?"

“But how did they survive?” A left-eye Amethyst asked, looking uncomfortably confused.

“I wasn’t there, of course, but Rose’s shield saved them, I guess. They were the only gems around her when the, uh, bad thing happened. It’s a really complicated situation, but that's what happened.”

She had garnered the attention of half the room by that point, as Amethyst told the ending to a story they had thought was over. Amethyst was tired of the feelings that had been bombarding her lately. From learning new, unsavory things about Rose, to the whole depressing situation with Jasper, to _this_ whole situation, Amethyst was exhausted. It was nice, however, to talk about some of these things that had been on her mind, with gems who didn't know anything about what she had been through and who wouldn't judge her anyway. She took a deep breath, before diving back in to the story.

“When I first came out of the ground...I was completely alone. I was probably there for a hundred years,” she felt a bit of embarrassment, “because I was scared of the place outside it. Too big. I, heh, I ended up making the boulders outside my hole my friends, gave them names and personalities, pretty pathetic, right?”

“Quartz are social gems,” 8XL explained, “and Amethysts especially. You were programmed to expect other gems there, so you made do with what you had.”

“Guess I did,” Amethyst replied, feeling her face grow hot, “So, you can imagine I was pretty lonely. I’m not gonna get into the whole big thing on Earth, but let’s just say there are these huge monsters that roam the planet, and sometimes they would come into the kindergarten. I got pretty good at fighting them, too, keeping them away from my stuff.

“Then, one day, Rose just…showed up, looking for one of these monsters with the others, and she found me, instead. When I first saw her, I was really intimidated, but at the same time I felt drawn to her, like she was going to help me, keep me safe…she was always going to be there.” Amethyst felt her throat tighten at the now bittersweet memory. With every fiber of her being, she willed herself not to cry. “The first time I left Prime was to go with them. Rose was…like a mom to me, like the human females that take care of babies. I…I loved her.”

Amethyst crossed her arms, wanting to sink into the floor. She wasn’t sure why she was telling them this, besides maybe feeling like she owed them an explanation. They got the idea, she was sure of it, and all this rambling was just making her sad.

“Is Rose Quartz gone?” 8XJ asked gently, sitting on the floor in front of Amethyst.

“It’s complicated, but in short: yeah, she is. It’s better this way.” Amethyst’s voice cracked. She needed to put a stop to this sad fest before it consumed her, as it always did when she thought at length about Rose. “I won’t lie, sometimes I still felt left out and alone, like they didn't really understand me. I never fought in a war I was supposed to fight in, I’m supposed to hate the gems that care about me, and all the gems I’m supposed to care about aren’t there anymore. But that's all irrelevant, now. Point is, the Crystal Gems aren’t the same as they were in the war, and they definitely aren’t the gems you’ve heard about.”

The feeling finally subsided, and Amethyst was left feeling drained, but oddly satisfied. The gems around her were quiet for once, and Amethyst wasn't sure what to make of it. _Maybe bringing Rose up wasn't such a good idea_ , Amethyst thought worriedly, _but they asked for it!_

Finally, 8XL spoke up. "If that's what you have to say about the Crystal Gems, then I believe you." A few gems nodded, murmuring their agreement. "I still wouldn't trust Rose Quartz one bit, but I'm glad that she helped you out, and I'm sorry that she's gone, whether she left or was shattered."

"Thanks, dude," Amethyst said, feeling a little better about the situation, "and thanks for not ratting us out."

"Don't mention it!" 8XL replied. "You can understand that a lot of aren't too fond of the Crystal Gems, and it goes against everything we've been taught to let you guys do what you're doing, but we'd choose you and your friends over Holly any day!"

"And what about Blue Diamond?" Amethyst questioned. "I'm not complaining or anything, just curious, but aren't you supposed to be loyal to your diamond, not your kindergarten-mates or whatever? Disobeying Holly is pretty much disobeying-"

"Our diamond was shattered," Skinny stated, arms crossed, glaring up at the skylight full of stars.

"Blue is our diamond now," 8XL argued, "she's the reason we're alive now!"

"She left us here for _5,000 years_!" Skinny shouted, "With Holly! She didn't want to shatter us because we belonged to Pink, not because we were worth keeping."

"Well...yeah...but if we were shattered all those years ago, we wouldn't have met 8XM here."

Skinny sighed. "All I'm saying is Pink wouldn't have treated us like that, like we're just worthless Earth-dirt being saved out of obligation. She's not my diamond." Carnelian, who was sitting in the cubby behind Skinny's head, patted her hair sympathetically.

"I understand," 8XL replied quietly, dropping the subject. "We'll help you however we can."

"We need to get the human that Blue Diamond brought in and his son," Amethyst replied, happy to get down to business. "How do you think we can pull this off?"

"Well, we'll have to break a whole lot of rules, and not get caught. As I recall, that's a Crystal Gem's specialty," 8XL stated, grinning wickedly.

"I guess you could say that," Amethyst drawled, grinning back.

It was time to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll have you know I started tearing up in the making of this chapter. I'm dying to see some more Amethyst development episodes, especially one as emotional as On the Run. I'm definitely close to finishing this one, probably 3 more chapters. Thank's for reading and for your nice comments!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't mention this before, but the Blue Calcites are like Peridots, but softer. These Calcites specialize in organic reproduction, while Peridots specialize in kindergarten reproduction.
> 
> In other news, this was hilarious in my head. I had trouble making this chapter, because I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it, but I like how it turned out. Mind you, I'm not really planning this fic out; whatever happens just...happens. It's almost midnight and I have class tomorrow at 9:30, I need to stop doing this to myself. Thanks for reading!

Amethyst watched the video feed that had been playing on the panel beside the door, tracking Greg and Steven's every move as they followed the lead of the other humans...and something else.

It turned out that the "Little Voice" that instructed their daily activities was an actual entity. The Blue Calcites used the communication devices clipped to the humans' ears to make gentle "suggestions" as to how they could spend their days and when these activities should occur. Corresponding with the faint glow of their communicators, text flashed across the bottom of the feed, showing the observer exactly what the humans should be doing. Those who refused were considered disobedient and should be monitored for signs of rebellion. It was all so messed up, but this was all they had ever known. This was over 6,000 years of culture in the making, perfected to a T and maintained through careful eugenics - reinforced through a ritual known as the Choosening - breeding a group of humans that were easy to control.

Regardless, it made Amethyst anxious to retrieve her friends, ASAP.

Around forty gems were crowded into the mock-kindergarten, putting a plan into place to rescue the two unfortunate humans. Amethyst was amazed at how much of a military operation this had turned out to be. At this point, every Earth gem on the station was in on it, which made it much easier keeping the endeavor from Holly Blue and the Calcites. Now, all they had to do was pull this off before Blue Diamond returned, a fact that they had been informed of only moments before.

 _"And now it's time to say good night. Good night, everyone. Sweet dreams"_ read across the bottom of the screen. The sky pictured in the feed lost its false, blue atmosphere, revealing the starry expanse of space beyond it. The humans, with Greg and the ever-reluctant Steven in tow, disappeared into the trees to sleep. Amethyst groaned, feeling the time slip away as her friends were at the mercy of these gems.

After a few moments of silence from the soundless video, Amethyst heard a faint beeping sound echoing through the expansive observation room behind it, and the sound of many Amethysts moving to see the disturbance. The video panned over to one side of the enclosure, zooming closer to a small section of trees. There, Amethyst could see a big, pink door (likely the exit), with Steven and Greg beside it, talking to two other humans. From the overhead perspective, she couldn’t tell what was going on, but it was obvious that they were trying to bust out.

“They aren’t gonna get out that way,” 8XL stated, leaning over Amethyst's head, “That exit is only accessible from the outside.”

Suddenly, without any warning, Steven reeled back and punched Greg in the gut, sending him sailing into a nearby tree, as if he weighed nothing. Amethyst gasped so hard she started choking, and she could hear exclamations from the others between coughs. She wasn’t sure what was happening, but this could possibly be either the worst or the best thing she had ever witnessed.

With tears in her eyes, Amethyst glanced back up at the video feed and saw them both glance up at the door expectantly. Yup, this was one of the best things Amethyst had ever had the pleasure of witnessing.

“That little one is strong!” 8XL exclaimed, gasping with laughter.

“Oh yeah, he’s so tough!” Amethyst replied. "Is it enough of a reason to bust in there?"

"I guess so," 8XL shrugged, "but it still might make the others suspicious."

Just then, another command scrolled across the screen: _"It is time for the choosening. Please gather around the circle of choosening."_ Greg, Steven, and the other humans walked back into the forest, working their way to the gathering in the middle of a clearing.

"Oh no, the Choosening!" 8XL exclaimed, "if we interrupt that, we'll never hear the end of it!"

It looked as if the camera was mounted to the inside wall of the sanctuary, giving a aerial view of the clearing. In it was all the young adult humans, arranged in a circle, looking eagerly at one another. To Amethyst's dismay, she watched as Greg was ushered into the circle, as well, leaving Steven behind.

 _Ugh, well at least they left Steven outta it,_ she thought, in her protective-sisterly way.

"Well, maybe we don't need to bust in there," Amethyst replied, trying to sound more nonchalant than she felt. "I know these guys, and I know they aren't gonna just go with this weird...ritual thing. Just gotta wait for them to cause a ruckus, then you guys can go in and break it up."

Amethyst looked back at the screen, hoping that she wasn't wrong.

She watched nervously as the first human was called, reading the words as they scrolled past. The next human was called, more cheers from the surrounding group. They met in the middle, clasping hands, as the first choosened couple was announced. As the two retreated back to the outer ring, the third human was called.

_"Jay-Ten, please step into the center of the circle."_

A young woman with straw-colored hair stepped forward.  _Eyyy...she's totally not Greg's type,_ Amethyst thought with a smirk,  _too short._

_"Ga-reg, please step into the center of the circle."_

Amethyst groaned as she watched Greg begin to argue with another human. Smiling, the human began to usher Greg into the center, towards the woman. Finally, he lost it, much to Amethyst's relief. Although she couldn't tell what he was saying, she knew that it wasn't the type of thing these guys wanted to hear; she just hoped Greg wouldn't blow it, even though he had no idea what was going on. Of course, Steven also had something today, probably about love and junk, which only warranted more confused stares from the humans.

Then, it failed in the most spectacular way. The human that had been so eager to give Greg away grasped his hand, and then the straw-haired woman followed suit.

"Oh no," Amethyst whispered, " _oh no..._ " She felt bad for Greg, but...

"What the heck are they doing?!" She heard a gem in the observation room exclaim, as all the humans approached Greg at once. Amethyst felt like she was going to implode.

But that was only the half of it. Greg stopped them again with what she was sure was a turn-down, and then he had really done it. Although she didn't have clear view of the humans, they all looked very upset. Greg and Steven backed away from the mob, before turning and high-tailing it out of there. Amethyst collapsed on the ground, unable to contain herself any longer, dissolving into a fit of giggles.

"I...hehaha...c-can't...HAHAHA!!!...he j-just...AHAHehehe, Greg the heart-breaker!!!!" She was dying, rolling on the floor. Around her, she could hear similar laughter, as the mildly confused Amethysts just figured out what happened.

"Did they all the choose him at once?!" 8XL cried, slapping her hands on her thighs.

"And he turned all of them down at once!" Amethyst replied. "That was amazing!" She swiped a tear from her eye, trying to compose herself. Then, leaning towards the panel, she said, "hey guys! Now that my friends have effectively started a riot, how's about you take care of that?"

She was never gonna let him live this down. 


	8. Chapter 8

Watching 8XB snatch Greg and Steven as they were escaping was just the icing on the cake for a terrible scenario turned hilarious.

In order to make the whole situation look real, and to add the final touch to what could very well be the best joke in history, they had to let the two believe that they were in serious trouble. If it weren’t for Amethyst’s intervention, they would have been. So, as the other Amethysts wrangled the inconsolable humans and awkwardly attempted to calm them, 8XB toted Greg and Steven back to the barracks, free and completely terrified.

It took the eager moments before 8XB returned to the barracks for the other gems to stop laughing and assume a menacing demeanor. Amethyst had to admit: they did look pretty intimidating. If these gems hadn’t welcomed her with open arms, she’d be terrified of this bunch. However, after seeing their true nature, the whole situation was unnecessarily silly, and she couldn’t keep from snickering until 8XB arrived.

8XL grabbed Amethyst from behind and lifted her up. “Hey, you’re gonna give it away, 8XM!”

“Hah, sorry, you guys are just dorks!” she chuckled, as 8XL covered her mouth playfully.

The doors wooshed open, and 8XB tossed her rebellious cargo on the floor. “These the ones?”

The other gems chuckled menacingly, looking down on Greg and Steven. Amethyst almost felt bad, seeing how scared they looked, but not bad enough to stop. Readjusting herself in 8XL’s arms, she cried, “Steven! Greg!”

The other gems parted as Amethyst assumed a scared expression that mimicked theirs. “They found me out,” she struggled for added effect.

“Amethyst!” Steven yelled, clearly scared.

 _Oh Steven, I’m so sorry_ , Amethyst thought, ready to put this poor child out of his misery. “These Amethysts are really, _really…_ great!”

“What?!” Steven cried, pulling himself up off the ground.

The entire room erupted in laughter, as the humans looked around in confusion. 8XB doubled over with mirth. “You’re faces!” she laughed, startling them even more.

“You were right, that was priceless!” 8XL said, releasing Amethyst as she too succumbed to the laughter. Amethyst hopped out of 8XL’s arms and rushed over to the unfortunate pair, pulling Steven into a hug.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I had to!” She cried. “What are you wearing?! Greg, this is a good look on you!” This was the first time she had gotten a good look at them since before they had been placed in the zoo, and these outfits really were something. She had to admit, though: Greg could pull off flower crown and braid.

“What is going on?”

“These Amethysts, they’re all from Earth! They’re from the Prime Kindergarten! Wait! Hey, 8XL!” Amethyst was bursting with excitement, happy to share her kindergarten fam with her original fam, introducing a few of them in what little time they had left together. And of course, It felt so good saying her full name out loud: Facet 5, cut 8XM! This was a feeling of kinship that Amethyst never realized she needed until she finally had it.

Of course, they weren’t out of the woods yet.

“Hey!” Steven shouted, getting the attention of everyone in the room, “Please, if you don't mind me asking, we really need your help. We came in with Sapphire, Ruby, and Pearl. We've gotta find them and get them out of- “

Of course, Miss No Fun herself arrived at that moment. “I'll only be a moment,” she stated politely to Sapphire. Then turning full-force on soldiers (most of whom were shirking their duties): “What are you all doing in here?! Get to your stations!” She barged in among the group as Amethyst, Greg, and Steven, stayed out of her line of sight. She made fine work of asserting her dominance over the group, swiping and pulling at the gems in her way. “Even you hideous off-color Betas! Get out of your cubbies and into your places! It's the least you can do for the Diamond that kept you worthless, sorry Gems in service! That's right. Blue is back already! Now go pretend your filthy vein of Quartz is capable of gratitude! Go, go, go!”

Reluctantly, the others followed orders, lining up in the hall outside the barracks. Amethyst hung towards the back with Steven and Greg, pushing them down the hall.

“Run!” She whispered, “Just run! I'll find you! Go!”

“What if Blue Diamond shows up and sees them?” Carnelian, who stood beside her, asked worriedly.

“She won’t,” Amethyst replied, trying to sound convincing, “these guys aren’t like the humans in the zoo. They know how to get out of situations.”

“I hope so.”

Amethyst glanced around at her friends, who were trying their hardest to look interested in what Holly was going on about as she doled out the orders, assaulting anyone who didn’t comply right away. Pearl was the first to notice Amethyst, and she inched away the group to hear what she had to say.

“Pearl,” Amethyst whispered to Pearl’s back, as Pearl continued to look inconspicuous. “Don’t ask how, but we broke Greg and Steven out of the zoo. They’re running through the station as we speak. We need to find them before Holly does…or Blue Diamond.”

“Oh my gosh!” Pearl whispered back, placing her hand on her face. Amethyst couldn’t tell if she was relieved, shocked, or exasperated; knowing Pearl, she was probably a combination of the three. Suddenly she felt slender fingers curl around her arm and yank her upwards. Amethyst, noticing Holly’s gaze drift dangerously close, quickly shifted into her disguise.

“I thought I told you to wait by the door,” she growled at Amethyst.

“Oh, uh, we...by the door, we heard a commotion, and I decided to go investigate,” replied lamely.

Holly’s eye twitched irritably. “You’re lucky you aren’t one of my troops.” She replied darkly, before turning back to Sapphire.

“I’ll say,” Amethyst muttered, as she followed behind the group inconspicuously, asking different gems as she went whether they saw the two humans run past.

She couldn’t wait for this adventure to be over. She couldn’t wait to go home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah, this one was a little dry, but it had to be done. I'm about done with this thing, two more chapters. More feels in the next chapter! Thank you for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

***5,000 years ago***

Two storms collide, meeting on the battlefield for the very last time.

This battle is by no means the worst that either side had faced previously—one could not forget the horrible casualties that Homeworld faced in the first battles for the Beta Kindergarten—but this one has an air of finality to it. By the end of it, the war will be over. The battlefield itself is a 5 square-mile patch of land in the midst of a dense forest in the Northeastern Asianic region, packed with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of gems from each side.

There is a rumor that Rose Quartz herself is involved in this battle, and another that says that Pink Diamond’s palanquin has been spotted.

The Amethysts of the Prime Kindergarten are in the thick of it, fighting not just against Crystal Gems, but their own sisters, gems who had been converted by the treacherous  Rose Quartz to the rebels side. The pleas for change, for mercy, fall on deaf ears as the soldiers focus on the symbols on their chests, as they had been told from the moment they emerged. They aren’t kin; they are enemies, traitors. The Prime gems fight on auto-pilot, hardly knowing or caring about the number of gems they’ve eliminated. Fight for Homeworld, protect Pink Diamond.

 Chaos ensues, different from the usual dissonance of battle, and enemy lines become a blurred mess. The Amethysts come out of their fighting-induced haze and look about in confusion, into the strangely familiar faces of their enemies, their wayward sisters…no, enemies. Fight, survive, win. That is what they must do.

“What’s going—oof!” 8XL cries, struggling through the clashing mess of soldiers, elbows jabbing her in all directions.

“I d-don’t know!!!” Calls another Amethyst, bearing the familiar Pink Diamond insignia. “It’s madness!” She slashes out wildly with her short blade, desperately trying to get free.

Rumors are flying wildly now, as 8XL finally breaks from the crowd. Shouting rises among both sides, if one could actually discern the separate factions within this show of power. A great cry arises from somewhere over the ridge, where Pink Diamond was said to have been spotted. 8XL, in what little time she has before one of the Crystal Gems notices that she is currently unoccupied, glances back at the source of the noise.

A group of soldiers have gathered at the base of the hill, and appear to be in combat. _What is going on?_

She hears the crunch of feet race up behind her, and she is back in the fight. Before the gem can react, she swings around, kicking her foot out from under her, and slamming her fist down into the traitor's head. Another enemy with a familiar face, dispatched in the name of her diamond. Protect Pink Diamond. Defend Homeworld, or be shattered trying.

_“…shattered…”_

The enemy begins to recede from the battlefield. The Homeworld gems give chase in confusion. 8XL looks to her loyal sisters, and they glance back, visibly uneasy.

_“…Pink Diamond…”_

The gems begin to slow as their quarry disappears into the night. These cowards can wait, but Pink Diamond cannot. They begin the trek back, when-

“RETREAT!!!”

The Wailing Stone at the edge of the battlefield echoes past them, and they can hardly comprehend what is being said. The voice is not that of an Agate, but of Yellow Diamond herself, giving the final order to end the fight. Now. There is no time to ask questions, but everyone seems to understand what has happened.

* * *

 

“RETREAT!!!”

Skinny swings around wildly, glancing at the gems running in both directions.

 _What’s going on!?_ Skinny thinks frantically, mirroring everyone else’s thoughts.

In this moment of uncertainty, a Crystal Gem runs right into her, and they tumble to the ground. She is pinned under the gem, their faces mushed together, and she feels fight and flight impulses in equal amounts of urgency as she attempts to slip out of her grasp. If only she could reach gem. She feels the weight of the gem shift off of her and she is allowed to sit up, but before she has a chance to get away, a fist connects with her face that sending her reeling. Sprawled on the ground, eyes unfocused and face throbbing, she hears the hum of escape pods in the distance.

A loud crash sounds, and a bit of hope blooms inside of her as she hears the familiar grunt of her large sister fending off the Crystal Gem. Dizzily, she gathers herself off the ground and stumbles toward Jasper, grasping her arm and pulling her toward the idling pods.

“Am I glad to see you, Muscles! I-I don’t know why, but we’re retreating! We have to go!” She tugs uselessly as Jasper continues in the wrong direction, towards the ridge. “Hey! Jasper! The ships are _this_ way!”

“I’ll avenge her.” There is a manic, deadly glint in her eye as she says this.

“W-what are you talking about?!” Skinny shouts. “We have to go! Do you want to be left behind with these traitors?”

Jasper looks back at Skinny, and the crazed look is replaced by anguish, something Skinny had not seen from her sister, always infinitely strong and inspiring. Then, with hardened resolve, she turns and sprints at full speed towards her destination.

“Stop!” Skinny screams, but to no avail. She doesn't notice the small figure spins up to her a moment later. Feeling a small, strong hand grip her wrist, she nearly kicks Carnelian in the face.

“Hey, cool it, it's just me! We gotta go!” Carnelian cries, pointing to the ships, now whining impatiently.

“But, Jasp! Muscles, she ran off! We can’t just-“

“RETREAT!!!”

“Orders, Skinny!” Carnelian replied, yanking her away, “she’ll find a way! Muscles always finds a way!”

Reluctantly, Skinny complies. Huge crowds of gems form around the scant escape pods that had touched down moments before. She looks back the entire time, waiting to see her sister barreling across the battlefield to be saved with the rest of them. Skinny isn’t sure what she wants more: to hold her sister close and never lose her, or to punch her for making her worry.

Of course, she never gets to do either.

Before boarding the ship, she takes one last look at the horizon, at her home, hoping that Muscles would actually find a way. The last of the Agates stalk across the battlefield after the troops, and Skinny finally boards the ship.

It is packed past capacity, and there are soldiers everywhere. Skinny finds a corner where some of the Beta soldiers were, along with a few Prime Amethysts. Temple—the Jasper with the gem on the side of her head—lay unconscious, her gem now cracked beyond repair. She isn’t going to make it.

The ship begins its ascent.

* * *

 

Jasper charges across the empty battlefield, vengeance pushing her onward. Rain, then hail, begins to rain down from the sky, but nothing this miserable planet can throw at her can stop her now. She feels tears stream across her cheeks as she races to the hill, the last stronghold of Homeworld.

If the rumors are true, if all this was for nothing, if Pink Diamond was really shattered by Rose Quartz…that snake would pay.

She feels something wrap tightly around her neck, and she is thrown backwards, crashing into the mud. As she tries to scramble to her feet, another whip slashes around her ankles. One of the Agates glares down at her, whip pulled taught.

“Where do you think you’re going?!” She shouts, half dragging Jasper towards her.

“Rose Quartz!!!” Jasper screams over the thunderous storm, dissipating the whip around her ankles with ease. “She. Can’t. Get. Away. With. This!!!”

“Your orders are to get on that ship!”—She points back at the waiting escape pods— “And that is what you will do!” She yanks hard on the whip, tightening around Jasper’s neck. With a gasp, Jasper’s form retreats into her gem. Agate kneels in the mud and scoops up the deceivingly small gem, shaking her head.

“If you weren’t the only decently formed gem from that failure of a kindergarten, I would have shattered you.” Begrudgingly, she holds the gem close, tucks into her body, and spin-dashes back to the pods to join the other Agates.

The war is over.

 

Jasper regenerates, no longer covered in grime and rainwater. As her light form reshapes, however, her head bangs against a solid surface, and she comes crashing down to the floor. With a groan, she looks around bewilderedly at the cell she had reformed in.

 _Why am I here?_ She thinks, before the events leading up to her demise came back to her. She hears the _click, click,_ of heals pacing down the hallway, until the Agate appears before her, in front of the cell’s light barrier.

“Oh, good,” she says, sounding not the least bit pleased, “you’re awake.”

“What is going on?” Jasper hisses, as she attempts the diamond salute sitting down. She feels humiliated.

“Well, that little stunt you pulled cannot go unpunished,” Agate replies matter-of-factly, “what did you think would happen, disobeying orders like that?”

“I…I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry.” The resolve that had given Jasper strength moments ago has left her body.

“Lucky for you, you are the only gem of actual value from your kindergarten, and we surely can’t return to Homeworld empty-handed.”

“What?” Jasper looks up at Agate incredulously. “But, what about the others from Beta? What about Prime?”

“Did I permit you to ask questions?” Agate questions rhetorically, before looking Jasper in the eyes, her expression bordering on pity. “You Betas are certainly loyal, and that may have saved the better-formed of you if we had been victorious, which we—regrettably—were not. And too many from the Prime Kindergarten have defected to the Crystal Gems for the others to be deemed trustworthy. The Primes will be bubbled with the Rose Quartzes, at least until we can figure out how to reprogram them, and the Betas will be shattered—except for you.”

Jasper felt as if someone had dumped ice water over her. “ _Shattered?!_ You-they can’t! Why?!” She jumps up, immediately banging her head against the ceiling again. “They can do the work just as capably as any other soldier…”

“I don’t believe I gave you permission to object,” Agate states coldly, all sympathy lost from her gaze. “It is the will of the Diamonds, and you have no room to complain. It would serve you well to remember this.” With this, she walks back the way she came, leaving Jasper alone.

 _My Diamond,_ Jasper thinks, feeling the weight of despair crushing down on her as she begins to weep, _my home, and now my sisters_. She has lost everything, except her own worthless life. 

The storm that had taken everything she held dear is gone, yet she can still feel it raging in her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is quite a bit longer than I wanted it to be, and quite a bit more sad. Next is the epic conclusion, and I already have an idea for a sequel: the pivotal Jasper redemption/healing fanfic, with quartz sister Amethyst. Thank you for reading, everyone!


	10. Chapter 10

***Present Day***

Amethyst lagged behind the group as Holly alternated between bubbling with praise for Blue Diamond and barking orders at the soldiers.

The zoo was positively buzzing with activity, with gems preparing the larger air lock, checking surveillance for Blue’s arrival, and taking care of the situation in the human habitat without Holly noticing, as well as their normal duties. They were certainly efficient, as they were expected to be. It was beyond Amethyst why Holly didn’t respect these gems more: they did what they were told when they were told, they did their jobs well, and they didn’t complain about it (at least not to her face). Besides, any one of them could kick her sorry butt with little effort; she should be nicer.

Holly finally stopped to oversee the final preparations for Blue Diamond’s arrival and Amethyst sprinted into the surveillance room while she was occupied. Three Amethysts look up at her tiredly, then with relief when they realized it wasn’t Holly.

“Have you seen the two humans running around?” Amethyst asked hurriedly, glancing over her shoulder.

“Nope, no sign of ‘em,” replied one, quickly flicking through all of the camera feeds in confirmation. Amethyst tried to ignore the knot of anxiety in her stomach.

“And Blue Diamond?”

“Hmmm…” she quickly switched to the Red Eye feed. “No, not yet. Wait, there!”

Zooming into the eastern wing of the facility, the feed picked up a small pin prick forming out of nowhere, and a huge blue ship shaped like a blue arm materialized near the station. It was nearly the size of the station itself, yet it maneuvered smoothly to stop along the side, curving around the facility as if it had always been there. _Of course she's here already,_ Amethyst thought despairingly,  _now all we need is Yellow Diamond and then it would be party!_ Coming to her senses, Amethyst dashed back to the group, followed by one of the other Amethysts. The gem approached Holly, throwing up a hasty salute.

“Holly Blue Agate, Blue Diamond has arrived!”

"Ah, excellent!" Holly exclaimed, leaning into the communication room down the hall. "Where will she receive us?"

Another Amethyst looked up from a large holographic screen, where she was talking to one of Blue Diamond's pilots. “Um, she wants to be left alone for a bit." She paused to listen to what the pilot was saying through the ear piece she was wearing. "She'll see you in the East wing."

Irritation crossed Holly’s face, as if this Amethyst was telling her what to do, but she let it slide. “Ah well, we will have to wait a few moments. It seems that Blue Diamond wishes to admire the beauty of this place in peace.” With that, they were moving down the hall again at a steady clip.

Amethyst really hoped that Steven and Greg were hiding somewhere.

“Blue Diamond will receive us in Pink Diamond’s old private quarters. This way,” Holly explained, directing them down another corridor. As Amethyst made to follow then, she felt a small hand grip her arm.

“Hey, can we talk?” Carnelian whispered, pulling Amethyst back, “Holly won’t notice you’re gone.”

“But I’ll have to rejoin them eventually,” Amethyst said, reluctant to be left behind again but not at all eager to follow Holly around.

“I can show you the way! It’s a quick thing.”

“Alright, I’ll bite. What is it?”

Carnelian looked thoughtful for a moment, twisting a strand of hair around her finger before finding the words. “What’s it like…on Earth?”

“What’s what like? You gotta be more specific,” Amethyst laughed, taken aback by such a big question.

“I mean...ugh, I don’t know!” Carnelian looked a little exasperated with herself. “I just miss it, you know? See, this place may look big at first, but it starts feeling reeeeally cramped after a while. And that’s coming from me! We get on each other’s nerves a lot; it’s always Betas and Primes, that’s all we ever fight about! But, whatever, doesn’t matter." She sighed, looking conflicted. "Me and Skinny get along the best--you know, defects have to stick together and all that--but Jaspers aren’t much for talking all the time, and the Amethysts make fun of me sometimes…not trying to be mean, I know, but…” Carnelian trailed off, realizing she was rambling.

Amethyst felt a little guilty, knowing that tendency all too well. She had felt like she wasn’t taken seriously many times in her life, but she was more than inclined to poke fun at other people’s insecurities, as well. She searched her mind for something to say.

“Ya know, no one ever told me about Beta until recently. Red sandstone, right?”

Carnelian instantly lit up at that. “Yeah! Weird holes and all! Heh, except one.”

“Just one?” Amethyst ventured, wanting to learn a little more about Jasper without opening the can of worms that came with her.

“Ohhh yeah!I came out a few weeks before her,” Carnelian said a little proudly. “There was a battle going on, so I didn’t get a chance to see her emerge. Skinny did, though; their holes are right next to each other.” She snorted a little. “She came out flexing! She was huge and super powerful! A little intense sometimes, but she always cared so much about us failures."

“We all came out wrong and the technicians couldn’t give us proper names, including her, so we all had nicknames to go by. Everyone used to call her ‘Muscles’ ‘cause she’s so big and strong.” She smiled a bit. “She used to call me ‘Runt.’ It was nice, 'cause I was the only Carnelian that…that survived, and it made me feel more part of the group.” She looked away sadly. "She was the best."

It sounded so weird, hearing about Jasper in this way, but oddly endearing. These gems were Jasper’s family, and they all have fond memories of her.

"Sounds like it. Do you know where she is now?" Amethyst was trying to put some pieces together so that she had something to ponder later.

"I don't know," Carnelian replied. "She ran off when we were leaving, and we never saw her again. I don't want to think about what could have happened to her."

And there it was: another piece of the puzzle that didn't quite fit with all the other pieces.

"I understand." Amethyst didn't want to pry any further, so she changed the subject. "Well, if it means anything to you, Beta looks just as lived in as Prime, even after all that time. Hasn't blown away yet!"

Carnelian laughed at this. "That's great. Maybe I'll actually get to see it again some day!" With that, she led Amethyst down the hall, the way that the group had gone, as Amethyst shared little anecdotes about life on Earth.

* * *

 

Carnelian left Amethyst at the beginning of a huge corridor, which led to the biggest door Amethyst had ever seen. Pearl was the only one there, pacing anxiously.

"Hey, Peirogi, what's happening?"

"Amethyst! Where have you been?"

"I'll tell you later. Are they in there?"

Pearl groaned loudly, slapping her hands over her eyes. "Oh, this is a disaster! Not only is Blue Diamond here, but Yellow Diamond, as well!"

"Yellow D? But why?"

"I don't know! And Steven and Greg are hiding in there!"

Amethyst slapped her forehead. "Of course they're in there! The worst place they could possibly be!"

The door began to slide open, and the two jumped to either side of the door, unsure of what to expect from this situation. Holly strode out of the room, followed by Sapphire, Ruby, and, more discretely, Steven and Greg. As soon as the door shut firmly behind them, Holly exhaled loudly, startling everyone.

"Two Diamonds?! I can't believe it! Can you believe it? Oh, well, of course, you can. You probably foresaw the whole thing," she said in a rush, leading them back to the smaller vehicle bay that they came from originally.

"Of course, no surprises here," Sapphire replied shakily.

Amethyst positioned herself in front of Steven and Greg. She'd gotten them this far without getting caught; she might as well protect them the rest of the way. Holly, meanwhile, rambled on and on, completely oblivious to the obvious breech that was occurring around her. As the passed through the exit, Amethyst gestured at Left and Right to keep silent, and thankfully they were close enough with her to comply, albeit nervous about what Holly would do if she discovered the escapees.

"...It's a shame though," Holly continued, closing her eyes pensively. The others began to creep past her, their ship in sight. "This outpost is so remote, I was beginning to think we'd been forgotten. But we haven't!" She suddenly looked up, just barely missing the humans beneath her arms. "Two Diamonds -- one day! What an honor. I don't think anything could spoil this for me."

And of course, of this very inopportune moment, as they were ushering Steven and Greg on the ship, she finally sees what is going on. Amethyst could see several different emotions pass across her face at once.

"What... is... the meaning of this?!" She shouted. Suddenly, all the soldiers in the vicinity were crowded in the doorway to see what was going on. With an accusing finger, she pointed at Greg and Steven. "Why are these two outside the containment area?!"

"Holly Blue, I can explain!" Sapphire cried, trying to diffuse the situation.

"No need, your clarity. Not even you could have foreseen how incompetent these Amethysts are. Well, if you want something done right, you just do it yourself," With this, she summoned a crackling, blue whip, the perfect the weapon for a gem like herself. With a flick of her wrist, she sent the whip in the humans' direction. "You two are coming with me!"

Just then, there was a flash of light and Garnet was gripping the end of the whip, a smirk on her face. Everyone gasped, and Amethyst was proud to see the impact Garnet had on the other quartzes. As Steven and Greg rushed on board, Pearl and Amethyst burst into action. Pearl whipped out her spear, slicing through the whip with ease, and Amethyst gripped onto the severed end, tucked into a spin, and skillfully wrapped it around Holly, grinning at the resounding cheers from her sisters. This was easy peazy.

Finally Garnet approached the entrapped gem, gauntlet summoned on one hand. "I've been waiting to do this all day," she said, punching Holly lightly with her her other bare fist. The impact was still enough to knock her over, which set the raucous audience to laughing.

"What are you doing?!" she cried, picking herself up from the ground and dissipating the whip. "They're traitors! Destroy them!"

The soldiers, however, paid her no mind as they started calling out their goodbyes. Wanting to give them a good exit, Amethyst turned around in the door way, raising a peace sign at her sisters and calling out, "famethyst for life!"

"I'll report you to the Diamonds! All of you! You'll all be shattered!"

Unexpectedly, Pearl crouched in front of her. "You're _really_ gonna tell the Diamonds that you allowed a band of traitorous rebels to infiltrate a highly secure facility and escape from right under your careful watch? Doesn't sound like a wise thing to do, Holly Blue," she said, tapping Holly's nose for affect. She hopped in the open doorway after Amethyst as the ship began to take flight. "So do yourself a favor and keep your mouth _shut_. That will be all."

Honestly, she couldn't remember a time she felt more in love with Pearl. That was the most beautiful burn she had ever heard.

 

Amethyst could hardly believe it. They were leaving the zoo with both Steven and Greg intact, all Crystal Gems accounted for, and a shaky alibi, as long as Holly didn't want to admit she was wrong. Her only regret was that they couldn't bring the quartz soldiers with them, or the humans, for that matter. None of them deserved to be bossed around like that, nor did they deserve to be forgotten for eternity by the gems that made them. As the warp kicked in, Amethyst watched as the station disappeared in the black expanse of space.

She had so many questions about the past, about the kindergartens and the other gems made on Earth, but there was still one gem on Earth that could give her some of those answers...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my stars, I'm finally done! I tried to keep as little dialog from the episode out of this chapter as possible (since you all already know what was said), but it just couldn't be helped in some spots. Thank you to everyone who read this, I honestly wasn't expecting it to get so many hits, and I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> This is only the beginning, though! This will be a part of a series (it may just be two stories, but I'm leaning more towards three!), in which Amethyst gains a better appreciation for where she came from, and Jasper learns how to love herself and the Earth again, as well as her goofy little sis' Amethyst! Again thank you for reading, and I'll be posting more very soon, once college lets up a bit.


End file.
